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MasterCard to roll out mobile emergency cash service at ATMs

Sept. 12, 2017

MasterCard has announced plans to roll out a mobile service that turns the ATM into an emergency cash hub, and that makes cash available for pickup even when the recipient has no bank account or debit card.

According to a press release, Mastercard Cash Pick-Up allows a bank to help an individual or company send money to anyone with a valid mobile phone number.

A text message with an order number, four-digit PIN and directions to the nearest branded ATM is sent to the recipient's mobile device. This individual simply enters the numbers into an ATM to receive cash instantly.

The MasterCard vision for Cash Pick-Up includes:

Replacement of lost or stolen wallets with instant cash.

Provision of 24/7 emergency relief to those in need.

Remittance of funds or payments to the un- or underbanked.

Delivery of faster payments on rebates and rewards.

The service is set to pilot this year in the U.S. with support from organizations such as Payment Alliance International, the nation's largest privately held provider of ATMs, the release said.

MasterCard said it is also working to make Cash Pick-Up available at additional retail ATMs across the country beginning in 2018. The service is initially certified to run on ATMs made by Hyosung and Genmega.

To help manage deployment, Mastercard teamed with Pin4, which has operated a similar cardless disbursement system in Spain and Poland under the HalCash brand.

"Mobile devices are commonplace and ATMs are everywhere so it made sense to leverage these technologies to create a truly open, cash network," Pin4 CEO Richard Witkowski said in the release. "Now, with Mastercard's Cash Pick-Up taking that concept to their vast network, we will see a new era emerge where cash is available to everyone via their mobile devices."

The service employs a patented process that uses virtual card numbers to securely execute cardless transactions. It also leverages Safety Net, a tool that reduces the impact of cyberhacking of banks and processors, the release said.